Moroccan star Youssef Chippo failed to show last night for the medical examination needed to finalise his transfer to Coventry City.

There was nothing sinister in his non-arrival. He was delayed for 24 hours in Portugal and was flying in today.

Chippo signed transfer forms at the weekend to agree his £1 million move from the Portuguese club FC Porto, but all transfer deals are subject to a thorough medical by the buying club, including X/rays and often bone scans.

Coventry’s medical staff were awaiting his arrival yesterday evening when the call came of the delay. He will have his first meeting on British soil with his new manager Gordon Strachan today, but he misses club chairman Bryan Richardson who is away on business involving the club’s new stadium.

Chippo was watched in action on several occasions by Strachan and Richardson after he was spotted and his background was researched by Coventry’s Europe-based scout Ray Clarke.

The club agreed the deal with Porto, but the Portuguese club requested nothing should be made public until the end of their season.

The Moroccan, who has won 35 international caps, is a left sided player, so Coventry will be well-off in that department for the new season with David Burrows, Steve Froggatt, Laurent Delorge and Marcus Hall also competing for places.

The young Belgian Delorge is the equivalent of a second new signing. He broke his leg in his first outing in the reserve team but is now recovered and will be taking part fully in pre-season training which starts next month.

Strachan has indicated that he will be pruning his first team squad down to around twenty-one players for the new season. The reserve team will be made up largely of young professionals through the club’s Soccer Academy set up.